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FEDERALhearing transcript
High Impact

Review of the 2019 Budget Request for U.S. Special Operations Forces

Original title: [H.A.S.C. No. 115-73] HEARING ON NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019 AND OVERSIGHT OF PREVIOUSLY AUTHORIZED PROGRAMS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION

January 1, 2018

national defensemilitary budgetspecial operationsforeign policymilitary readiness

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The Frame

What this does

The hearing addresses a proposed $13.6 billion budget for U.S. Special Operations, which includes a 10% increase in funding and an expansion of personnel to over 71,000, impacting national defense priorities and military readiness.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

U.S. Special Operations Forces

The force is subject to potential expansion to 71,000 personnel and changes in operational funding structures.

Department of Defense

The department is responsible for managing the $13.6 billion budget and aligning force deployment with the National Defense Strategy.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2018.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The House Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities held a hearing to review the $13.6 billion budget request for U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM). The discussion focused on the record-high funding request, the reliance on temporary war-funding accounts, and the strategic deployment of forces globally.

Key Facts

  • The fiscal year 2019 budget request for U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is over $13.6 billion.
  • The request represents a 10% increase in funding compared to the previous year.
  • The proposed budget seeks to increase the total size of the force to over 71,000 personnel.
  • Approximately 33% of the operations and maintenance accounts are funded through Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding.
  • U.S. Special Operations Forces are currently active in approximately 80 countries.
  • The subcommittee expressed concern regarding the reliance on OCO funding, which Chairwoman Stefanik described as creating a 'facade' of readiness.
  • The hearing addressed the role of Special Operations Forces in the context of the National Defense Strategy, specifically regarding threats from Russia and China.

Why It Matters

The hearing addresses a proposed $13.6 billion budget for U.S. Special Operations, which includes a 10% increase in funding and an expansion of personnel to over 71,000, impacting national defense priorities and military readiness.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much money is being requested for Special Operations in 2019?
The request totals more than $13.6 billion.
How many personnel are included in the proposed Special Operations force size?
The request seeks to bring the total force size to over 71,000 personnel.
What is the concern regarding 'OCO' funding?
The subcommittee is concerned about the heavy reliance (33%) on Overseas Contingency Operations funding for operations and maintenance, which they argue creates an unstable financial structure.

News Coverage

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Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Reliance on Emergency Funding

The subcommittee identified a persistent and growing dependency on temporary war-funding accounts (OCO) for core operations and maintenance, which they characterize as a structural weakness.

U.S. Special Operations CommandElise M. Stefanik

Connected Entities

personElise M. Stefanik“Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities”Map →
personOwen West“Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict”Map →
organizationU.S. Special Operations Command“The military command requesting the budget”Map →
personRaymond A. Thomas“General and Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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